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Kim S, Park SH, Choi S, Lee W, Choi S, Han S, Han S, Lee DG. Mathematical modelling for vaccine efficacy trials during the future epidemics of emerging respiratory infections. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2025; 21:2467554. [PMID: 39968889 PMCID: PMC11845082 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2025.2467554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2024] [Revised: 01/27/2025] [Accepted: 02/12/2025] [Indexed: 02/20/2025] Open
Abstract
Assessing vaccine efficacy (VE) during emerging epidemics is challenging due to unpredictable disease transmission dynamics. We aimed to investigate the impact of vaccine randomized controlled trials (RCTs) timing on estimates of VE and sample sizes during future epidemics of emerging respiratory diseases. We developed an age-structured susceptible-exposed-infected-asymptomatically infected-removed (SEIAR) compartment models using 2022 Korean population, and COVID-19 and 2009 A/H1N1 pandemic influenza parameters. Various RCT scenarios were tested to calculate VE estimates, sample size and power by varying RCT timings (using the epidemic peak as the base, ± 10%, ± 20%, ± 30% relative to the time of peak) with follow-up durations (4 weeks as the base, and 8 and 12 weeks), recruitment durations (4 weeks as the base, and 2, 8, and 12 weeks), and non-pharmaceutical intervention (NPI) levels in reducing R0 by 10% and 20%. Additionally, assumptions regarding baseline cumulative incidences were evaluated for sample size calculations. The results showed that VE remained relatively stable across trial timings; however, required sample sizes varied significantly with timing. Sample size requirements initially decreased after a peak and then increased steeply as the epidemic progressed. Initiating RCTs 30% earlier than the peak, along with extended recruitment duration, could reduce sample sizes without compromising VE. NPIs effectively extended the feasible timeframe for RCTs. Sample size estimates based on simulated case numbers in the placebo group were slightly underestimated, with power consistently above 85%. In contrast, calculations using cumulative incidence over the 4 weeks pretrial or the entire study duration could lead to overpowered or underpowered studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soyoung Kim
- Innovation Center for Industrial Mathematics, National Institute for Mathematical Sciences, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Sun Hee Park
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Vaccine Bio Research Institute, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sunhwa Choi
- Innovation Center for Industrial Mathematics, National Institute for Mathematical Sciences, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Wanho Lee
- Mathematical Modelling Team, National Institute for Mathematical Sciences, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Suein Choi
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Pharmacometrics Institute for Practical Education and Training (PIPET), College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sungpil Han
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Pharmacometrics Institute for Practical Education and Training (PIPET), College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Seunghoon Han
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Pharmacometrics Institute for Practical Education and Training (PIPET), College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong-Gun Lee
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Vaccine Bio Research Institute, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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Saha T, Masum ZU, Biswas A, Mou MA, Ahmed S, Saha T. Inhaled Dry Powder of Antiviral Agents: A Promising Approach to Treating Respiratory Viral Pathogens. Viruses 2025; 17:252. [PMID: 40007007 PMCID: PMC11860668 DOI: 10.3390/v17020252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2025] [Revised: 02/06/2025] [Accepted: 02/11/2025] [Indexed: 02/27/2025] Open
Abstract
Inhaled dry powder formulations of antiviral agents represent a novel and potentially transformative approach to managing respiratory viral infections. Traditional antiviral therapies in the form of tablets or capsules often face limitations in terms of therapeutic activity, systemic side effects, and delayed onset of action. Dry powder inhalers (DPIs) provide a targeted delivery system, ensuring the direct administration of antivirals to the infection site, the respiratory tract, which potentially enhance therapeutic efficacy and minimize systemic exposure. This review explores the current state of inhaled dry powder antiviral agents, their advantages over traditional routes, and specific formulations under development. We discuss the benefits of targeted delivery, such as improved drug deposition in the lungs and reduced side effects, alongside considerations related to the formulation preparation. In addition, we summarize the developed (published and marketed) inhaled dry powders of antiviral agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tushar Saha
- Mastaplex Ltd., Centre for Innovation, University of Otago, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand
| | - Zia Uddin Masum
- College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, St. John’s University, Queens, New York, NY 11439, USA;
| | - Anik Biswas
- Materials and Nanotechnology, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 58105, USA;
| | - Moushumi Afroza Mou
- Department of Biological Science, St. John’s University, Queens, New York, NY 11439, USA;
| | - Sohag Ahmed
- Department of Chemistry, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA;
| | - Tamal Saha
- International Centre for Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh;
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3
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Janani L, Phillips R, Van Vogt E, Liu X, Waddington C, Cro S. Past, present, and future of Phase 3 vaccine trial design: rethinking statistics for the 21st century. Clin Exp Immunol 2025; 219:uxae104. [PMID: 39570146 PMCID: PMC11754867 DOI: 10.1093/cei/uxae104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2024] [Revised: 10/23/2024] [Accepted: 11/19/2024] [Indexed: 11/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Vaccines are crucial for protecting health globally; however, their widespread use relies on rigorous clinical development programmes. This includes Phase 3 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to confirm their safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy. Traditionally, such trials used fixed designs with predetermined assumptions, lacking the flexibility to change during the trial or stop early due to overwhelming evidence of either efficacy or futility. Modern vaccine trials benefit from innovative approaches like adaptive designs, allowing for planned trial adaptations based on accumulating data. Here, we provide an overview of the evolution of Phase 3 vaccine trial design and statistical analysis methods from traditional to more innovative contemporary methods. This includes adaptive trial designs, which offer ethical advantages and enable early termination if indicated; Bayesian methods, which combine prior knowledge and observed trial data to increase efficiency and enhance result interpretation; modern statistical analysis methods, which enable more accurate and precise inferences; the estimand framework, which ensures the primary question of interest is addressed in a trial; novel approaches using machine learning methods to assess heterogeneity of treatment effects; and statistical advances in safety analysis to evaluate reactogenicity and clinical adverse events. We conclude with insights into the future direction of vaccine trials, aiming to inform clinicians and researchers about conventional and novel RCT design and analysis approaches to facilitate the conduct of efficient, timely trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leila Janani
- Imperial Clinical Trials Unit, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Rachel Phillips
- Imperial Clinical Trials Unit, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Ellie Van Vogt
- Imperial Clinical Trials Unit, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Xinxue Liu
- Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre and Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
| | - Claire Waddington
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Imperial College NHS Healthcare Trust, St Mary’s Hospital, London, UK
| | - Suzie Cro
- Imperial Clinical Trials Unit, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
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4
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Weerarathna IN, Doelakeh ES, Kiwanuka L, Kumar P, Arora S. Prophylactic and therapeutic vaccine development: advancements and challenges. MOLECULAR BIOMEDICINE 2024; 5:57. [PMID: 39527305 PMCID: PMC11554974 DOI: 10.1186/s43556-024-00222-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2024] [Revised: 10/24/2024] [Accepted: 10/25/2024] [Indexed: 11/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Biomedical research is fundamental in developing preventive and therapeutic vaccines, serving as a cornerstone of global public health. This review explores the key concepts, methodologies, tools, and challenges in the vaccine development landscape, focusing on transitioning from basic biomedical sciences to clinical applications. Foundational disciplines such as virology, immunology, and molecular biology lay the groundwork for vaccine creation, while recent innovations like messenger RNA (mRNA) technology and reverse vaccinology have transformed the field. Additionally, it highlights the role of pharmaceutical advancements in translating lab discoveries into clinical solutions. Techniques like CRISPR-Cas9, genome sequencing, monoclonal antibodies, and computational modeling have significantly enhanced vaccine precision and efficacy, expediting the development of vaccines against infectious diseases. The review also discusses challenges that continue to hinder progress, including stringent regulatory pathways, vaccine hesitancy, and the rapid emergence of new pathogens. These obstacles underscore the need for interdisciplinary collaboration and the adoption of innovative strategies. Integrating personalized medicine, nanotechnology, and artificial intelligence is expected to revolutionize vaccine science further. By embracing these advancements, biomedical research has the potential to overcome existing challenges and usher in a new era of therapeutic and prophylactic vaccines, ultimately improving global health outcomes. This review emphasizes the critical role of vaccines in combating current and future health threats, advocating for continued investment in biomedical science and technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Induni Nayodhara Weerarathna
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Allied Health Sciences, Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education and Research (Deemed to Be University), Wardha, Maharashtra, 442001, India.
| | - Elijah Skarlus Doelakeh
- Department of Anesthesia, School of Allied Health Sciences, Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education and Research (Deemed to Be University), Wardha, Maharashtra, 442001, India
| | - Lydia Kiwanuka
- Department of Medical Radiology and Imaging Technology, School of Allied Health Sciences, Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education and Research (Deemed to Be University), Wardha, Maharashtra, 442001, India
| | - Praveen Kumar
- Department of Computer Science and Medical Engineering, FEAT, Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education and Research (Deemed to Be University), Wardha, Maharashtra, 442001, India
| | - Sanvi Arora
- Faculty of Medicine, Jawaharlal Medical College, Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education and Research (Deemed to Be University), Wardha, Maharashtra, 442001, India
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Mohammadi D, Ghasemi M, Manouchehrian N, Zafarmand M, Akbari M, Boroumand AB. COVID-19 vaccines: current and future challenges. Front Pharmacol 2024; 15:1434181. [PMID: 39568586 PMCID: PMC11576167 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1434181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2024] [Accepted: 09/18/2024] [Indexed: 11/22/2024] Open
Abstract
As of December 2020, around 200 vaccine candidates for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) are being developed. COVID-19 vaccines have been created on a number of platforms and are still being developed. Nucleic acid (DNA, RNA) vaccines, viral vector vaccines, inactivated vaccines, protein subunit vaccines, and live attenuated vaccines are among the COVID-19 vaccine modalities. At this time, at least 52 candidate vaccines are being studied. Spike protein is the primary protein that COVID-19 vaccines are targeting. Therefore, it is critical to determine whether immunizations provide complete or fractional protection, whether this varies with age, whether vaccinated people are protected from reoccurring diseases, and whether they need booster shots if they've already been inoculated. Despite the enormous achievement of bringing several vaccine candidates to market in less than a year, acquiring herd immunity at the national level and much more so at the global level remains a major challenge. Therefore, we gathered information on the mechanism of action of presently available COVID-19 vaccines in this review and essential data on the vaccines' advantages and downsides and their future possibilities.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Matin Ghasemi
- Islamic Azad University Tonekabon, Tonekabon, Mazandaran, Iran
| | - Nahid Manouchehrian
- Department of Anesthesilogy, School of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | | | - Mitra Akbari
- Eye Research Center, Department of Eye, Amiralmomenin Hospital, School of Medicine, Guilan University of Medical Science, Rasht, Iran
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Li J, Li Y, Pan Y, Guo J, Sun Z, Li F, He Y, Tao C. Mapping vaccine names in clinical trials to vaccine ontology using cascaded fine-tuned domain-specific language models. J Biomed Semantics 2024; 15:14. [PMID: 39123237 PMCID: PMC11316402 DOI: 10.1186/s13326-024-00318-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Vaccines have revolutionized public health by providing protection against infectious diseases. They stimulate the immune system and generate memory cells to defend against targeted diseases. Clinical trials evaluate vaccine performance, including dosage, administration routes, and potential side effects. CLINICALTRIALS gov is a valuable repository of clinical trial information, but the vaccine data in them lacks standardization, leading to challenges in automatic concept mapping, vaccine-related knowledge development, evidence-based decision-making, and vaccine surveillance. RESULTS In this study, we developed a cascaded framework that capitalized on multiple domain knowledge sources, including clinical trials, the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS), and the Vaccine Ontology (VO), to enhance the performance of domain-specific language models for automated mapping of VO from clinical trials. The Vaccine Ontology (VO) is a community-based ontology that was developed to promote vaccine data standardization, integration, and computer-assisted reasoning. Our methodology involved extracting and annotating data from various sources. We then performed pre-training on the PubMedBERT model, leading to the development of CTPubMedBERT. Subsequently, we enhanced CTPubMedBERT by incorporating SAPBERT, which was pretrained using the UMLS, resulting in CTPubMedBERT + SAPBERT. Further refinement was accomplished through fine-tuning using the Vaccine Ontology corpus and vaccine data from clinical trials, yielding the CTPubMedBERT + SAPBERT + VO model. Finally, we utilized a collection of pre-trained models, along with the weighted rule-based ensemble approach, to normalize the vaccine corpus and improve the accuracy of the process. The ranking process in concept normalization involves prioritizing and ordering potential concepts to identify the most suitable match for a given context. We conducted a ranking of the Top 10 concepts, and our experimental results demonstrate that our proposed cascaded framework consistently outperformed existing effective baselines on vaccine mapping, achieving 71.8% on top 1 candidate's accuracy and 90.0% on top 10 candidate's accuracy. CONCLUSION This study provides a detailed insight into a cascaded framework of fine-tuned domain-specific language models improving mapping of VO from clinical trials. By effectively leveraging domain-specific information and applying weighted rule-based ensembles of different pre-trained BERT models, our framework can significantly enhance the mapping of VO from clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianfu Li
- Department of Artificial Intelligence and Informatics, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
| | - Yiming Li
- McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Yuanyi Pan
- Unit for Laboratory Animal Medicine, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Center for Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Jinjing Guo
- Unit for Laboratory Animal Medicine, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Center for Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Zenan Sun
- McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Fang Li
- Department of Artificial Intelligence and Informatics, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
| | - Yongqun He
- Unit for Laboratory Animal Medicine, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Center for Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
| | - Cui Tao
- Department of Artificial Intelligence and Informatics, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA.
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Bashar MDA, Kamble B, Kumar S, Nandekar SV, Mathur SK. Assessment of safety and adverse events following COVID-19 vaccination and their predictors in first 30 days among healthcare workers of a tertiary care teaching hospital in North India. Vaccine X 2024; 19:100522. [PMID: 39077369 PMCID: PMC11284686 DOI: 10.1016/j.jvacx.2024.100522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Background The COVID-19 vaccines were rolled out as an emergency measure, with an expedited approval to contain the pandemic. The objective of this study was to assess the incidence, pattern and severity of AEFIs reported following COVID-19 vaccination and their predictors among the healthcare workers. Materials and methods A prospective cohort study enrolling healthcare workers of a tertiary care Institute in North India receiving COVISHIELD™ from February to May 2021 was carried out to assess the incidence, pattern and severity of AEFI over the next 30 days. Both active and passive surveillance methods were used for AEFI recording. Bivariate analysis was performed to ascertain the predictors of AEFIs. Results A total of 836 healthcare workers who received the first dose of COVISHIELD™ were included in the study of which 201 (24.0 %) experienced one or more AEFIs. Majority of AEFIs were of minor grade (99.8 %) and resolved spontaneously. Majority (96.0 %) had onset of the AEFIs within 48 hrs of vaccination. Serious AEFIs, leading to hospitalization was noticed in 2(0.2 %) participants, both females, with suspicion of immunization stress related response (ISRR). Both of them recovered without any sequelae. No deaths were recorded. Factors found to be significantly associated with the occurrence of AEFIs in the participants were female gender (p = 0.02), monthly income > 20,000 INR (p = 0.007), presence of any chronic illness (p < 0.0001), history of allergic reaction to any drug/vaccine (p = 0.01), history of COVID-19 infection (p < 0.00002) and history of hospitalization due to COVID-19 (p < 0.0002). Conclusion Majority of the AEFIs observed were of minor grade with spontaneous resolution of the symptoms indicating safety and well tolerability of the vaccine. Female gender, higher income, history of allergy and co-morbidities, history of COVID-19 infection and history of hospitalization were found to be major predictors for the development of adverse events and require more watchful vaccination.
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Affiliation(s)
- MD. Abu Bashar
- Department of Community & Family Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Bhushan Kamble
- Department of Community & Family Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bibinagar, Telangana, India
| | - Sampath Kumar
- Department of Community Medicine, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Sanket V. Nandekar
- Department of Community Medicine, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Sharad Kumar Mathur
- Department of Anaesthesiology, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India
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de Jong HK, Hermans SM, Schuitenmaker SM, Oli M, van den Hoven MA, Grobusch MP. Factors associated with acceleration of clinical development for infectious diseases: a cross-sectional analysis of 10-year EMA registration data. THE LANCET REGIONAL HEALTH. EUROPE 2024; 43:100983. [PMID: 39027897 PMCID: PMC11255360 DOI: 10.1016/j.lanepe.2024.100983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2024] [Revised: 06/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
Background Clinical trials feature centrally in the development of drugs and vaccines to determine safety and efficacy. Clinical development can be slow and may have a duration of more than ten years. Global public health threats such as Ebola virus disease (EVD) and COVID-19 have demonstrated that it is possible to accelerate clinical trials while maintaining safety and efficacy. We investigated acceleration in clinical trials over the past decade and identified factors associated with acceleration for drugs targeting infectious diseases. Methods A cross-sectional study was performed of all medicinal compounds targeting infectious diseases that received marketing authorisation by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) between 2012 and 2022. We calculated median clinical development time in years between the first phase 1 trial enrolment date and the authorisation date. Multivariable linear regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with shorter development times. Findings Eighty-one trajectories were included. The median clinical development time was 7.3 years (IQR 4.4-12.3). The fastest times belonged to drugs and vaccines targeting COVID-19 (1.3 years, IQR 0.8-1.6), EVD (5.5 years, IQR 5.1-5.8), and Hepatitis A-E (5.5 years, IQR 3.9-8.2). Factors associated with shorter development times were outbreak setting (-5.4 years [95% CI, -8.2 to -2.6]), accelerated assessment status (-4.0 years [95% CI, -7.6 to -0.5]), and drugs with combined compounds (-2.7 years [95% CI, -4.9 to -0.4]). Interpretation Clinical development time for infectious disease-related drugs and vaccines was relatively short, and outbreak setting and accelerated EMA assessment were associated with shorter development times. Funding Amsterdam Public Health research institute.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna K. de Jong
- Amsterdam UMC, Location University of Amsterdam, Center for Tropical Medicine and Travel Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases, Amsterdam Public Health – Global Health, and Amsterdam Institute for Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Sabine M. Hermans
- Amsterdam UMC, Location University of Amsterdam, Center for Tropical Medicine and Travel Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases, Amsterdam Public Health – Global Health, and Amsterdam Institute for Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Amsterdam UMC, Location University of Amsterdam, Department of Global Health, Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Sophie M. Schuitenmaker
- Amsterdam UMC, Location University of Amsterdam, Center for Tropical Medicine and Travel Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases, Amsterdam Public Health – Global Health, and Amsterdam Institute for Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Maya Oli
- Amsterdam UMC, Location University of Amsterdam, Center for Tropical Medicine and Travel Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases, Amsterdam Public Health – Global Health, and Amsterdam Institute for Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Mariëtte A. van den Hoven
- Amsterdam UMC, Location VU University Amsterdam, Department of Ethics, Law and Humanities, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Martin P. Grobusch
- Amsterdam UMC, Location University of Amsterdam, Center for Tropical Medicine and Travel Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases, Amsterdam Public Health – Global Health, and Amsterdam Institute for Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Centre de Recherches Médicales en Lambaréné (CERMEL), Lambaréné, Gabon
- Masanga Medical Research Unit (MMRU), Masanga, Sierra Leone
- Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine (IDM), University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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Bok S, Shum J, Lee M. Path analysis of perceived disease vulnerability, COVID-19 fear, and lower vaccine hesitancy within the context of protection motivation theory. Heliyon 2024; 10:e25889. [PMID: 38390175 PMCID: PMC10881856 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e25889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
COVID-19 vaccinations have demonstrated effectiveness in reducing severe infections. However, vaccine hesitancy posed a major public health hurdle to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Online spread of vaccine conspiracy beliefs generated unwarranted mistrust and resistance to vaccines. While numerous studies have explored the factors influencing vaccine hesitancy, there remains a lack of comprehensive understanding regarding the interplay between perceived disease vulnerability, COVID-19 fear, and vaccine hesitancy. Protection motivation theory posits citizens will evaluate perceived threats and take actions to mitigate potential harm. With a large U.S. sample, path analysis demonstrated individuals' perceived disease vulnerability was associated with lower vaccine hesitancy. Greater perceived disease vulnerability was associated with higher COVID-19 fear. Greater COVID-19 fear was associated with lower vaccine hesitancy. Greater vaccine conspiracy beliefs associated with higher vaccine hesitancy. However, in the presence of perceived vulnerability to disease, vaccine conspiracy beliefs associated with higher fear of COVID-19 and thereby lower vaccine hesitancy. We found under circumstances of higher perceived vulnerability to disease and fear of COVID-19, vaccine conspiratorial believers were less vaccine hesitant. We discuss how public health messaging can highlight personal risks to contracting COVID-19 to appeal to those who self-identify as disease prone, but may have reservations about vaccines because of misinformation. Successfully combating diseases entails reaching and gaining cooperation from misbelievers because misinformation is expected to continue in the digital age. By understand individual differences to vaccine hesitancy, it can help increase vaccinations and prevent severe illnesses in the post COVID-19 pandemic era.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen Bok
- Department of Marketing, College of Business and Economics, California State University, East Bay, United States
| | - James Shum
- School of Accounting, Golden Gate University, San Francisco, United States
| | - Maria Lee
- Department of Urban Planning and Public Policy, University of California, Irvine, United States
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10
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Munkwase G. Implications of vaccine non-specific effects on licensure of new vaccines. Vaccine 2024; 42:1013-1021. [PMID: 38242737 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2024.01.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 01/14/2024] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
Immune memory was for a long time thought to be an exclusive feature of the adaptive immune system. Emerging evidence has shown that the innate immune system may exhibit memory which has been termed as trained immunity or innate immune memory. Trained immunity following vaccination may produce non-specific effects leading to reduction in morbidity and mortality from heterologous pathogens. This review looked at trained immunity as a mechanism for vaccine induced non-specific effects, mechanisms underlying trained immunity and known vaccine non-specific effects. A discussion is also made on the implications these vaccine non-specific effects may have on overall risk-benefit ratio evaluation by National Medicines Regulatory Authorities (NMRAs) during licensure of new vaccines. Epigenetic remodeling and "rewiring" of cellular metabolism in the innate immune cells especially monocytes, macrophages, and Natural Killer (NK) cells have been suggested to be the mechanisms underlying trained immunity. Trained immunity in other innate cells has largely remained elusive up to date. Non-specific effects have been extensively documented with Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG), measles vaccine and oral polio vaccine but it remains unclear if other vaccines may exhibit similar effects. All known vaccine non-specific effects have come from observations in epidemiological studies conducted post-vaccine licensure and roll out in target populations. It remains to be seen if early identification of non-specific effects especially those with protective benefits during the clinical development of new vaccines may contribute to the overall risk-benefit ratio evaluation during licensure by NMRAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grant Munkwase
- National Drug Authority, Plot 93, Buganda Road, Kampala, Uganda; African Leadership in Vaccinology Expertise (ALIVE), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
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11
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Perkins JR, Jaqua EE, Nguyen VT, Franz DA, Elkins J, Morton KR. Optimizing Education to Improve COVID-19 Vaccination Rates in a Federally Qualified Health Center. Perm J 2023; 27:143-150. [PMID: 37908131 PMCID: PMC10723104 DOI: 10.7812/tpp/23.088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy is prevalent in underserved communities, and family medicine clinics can combat hesitancy with vaccine education. However, due to general misinformation, physicians hesitate to educate patients because doing so can create conflict. METHODS A series of resident-run, team-based quality improvement projects were conducted at a federally qualified health center every 4 months between June 2021 and May 2022. First, staff documentation of vaccine status was addressed. Second, physician and staff education about COVID-19 vaccines was completed along with motivational interview training to avoid conflict with patients. Third, patient COVID-19 vaccine education was addressed. RESULTS After Cycle 1, COVID-19 vaccine documentation status increased the number of patients who completed the vaccination series from 1% to 22%. Cycle 2 showed an increase in COVID-19 vaccination rate after health care team education. This reflected an increase from 35% to 76% of residents reporting that they discussed COVID-19 vaccines with unvaccinated patients after the intervention. Cycle 3 fought vaccine misinformation by educating patients. Most patients heard information about COVID-19 vaccines from friends and family (95%), social media (90%), and the news (80%). Physician confidence in providing COVID-19 vaccine education to patients increased from 2.8 (< somewhat confident) to 4.3 (moderately confident) out of 5 over 3 plan-do-study-act cycles. DISCUSSION Vaccination rates were tracked alongside physician surveys regarding the experience of offering the vaccine to patients. Vaccination rates steadily increased over time, and physicians became more confident in COVID-19 vaccine discussions with patients. CONCLUSION Primary care physicians are needed to approach public health concerns, such as vaccination completion, but ongoing education is also needed to promote confidence in health care pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua R Perkins
- Family Medicine Department, Loma Linda University Health, Loma Linda, CA, USA
| | - Ecler E Jaqua
- Family Medicine Department, Loma Linda University Health, Loma Linda, CA, USA
| | - Van T Nguyen
- Family Medicine Department, Loma Linda University Health, Loma Linda, CA, USA
| | - Daniel A Franz
- Psychology Department, Loma Linda University Health, Loma Linda, CA, USA
| | - Joseph Elkins
- School of Medicine, Loma Linda University Health, Loma Linda, CA, USA
| | - Kelly R Morton
- Family Medicine Department, Loma Linda University Health, Loma Linda, CA, USA
- Psychology Department, Loma Linda University Health, Loma Linda, CA, USA
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12
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Li J, Li Y, Pan Y, Guo J, Sun Z, Li F, He Y, Tao C. Mapping Vaccine Names in Clinical Trials to Vaccine Ontology using Cascaded Fine-Tuned Domain-Specific Language Models. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-3362256. [PMID: 37841880 PMCID: PMC10571639 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3362256/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
Background Vaccines have revolutionized public health by providing protection against infectious diseases. They stimulate the immune system and generate memory cells to defend against targeted diseases. Clinical trials evaluate vaccine performance, including dosage, administration routes, and potential side effects. ClinicalTrials.gov is a valuable repository of clinical trial information, but the vaccine data in them lacks standardization, leading to challenges in automatic concept mapping, vaccine-related knowledge development, evidence-based decision-making, and vaccine surveillance. Results In this study, we developed a cascaded framework that capitalized on multiple domain knowledge sources, including clinical trials, Unified Medical Language System (UMLS), and the Vaccine Ontology (VO), to enhance the performance of domain-specific language models for automated mapping of VO from clinical trials. The Vaccine Ontology (VO) is a community-based ontology that was developed to promote vaccine data standardization, integration, and computer-assisted reasoning. Our methodology involved extracting and annotating data from various sources. We then performed pre-training on the PubMedBERT model, leading to the development of CTPubMedBERT. Subsequently, we enhanced CTPubMedBERT by incorporating SAPBERT, which was pretrained using the UMLS, resulting in CTPubMedBERT + SAPBERT. Further refinement was accomplished through fine-tuning using the Vaccine Ontology corpus and vaccine data from clinical trials, yielding the CTPubMedBERT + SAPBERT + VO model. Finally, we utilized a collection of pre-trained models, along with the weighted rule-based ensemble approach, to normalize the vaccine corpus and improve the accuracy of the process. The ranking process in concept normalization involves prioritizing and ordering potential concepts to identify the most suitable match for a given context. We conducted a ranking of the Top 10 concepts, and our experimental results demonstrate that our proposed cascaded framework consistently outperformed existing effective baselines on vaccine mapping, achieving 71.8% on top 1 candidate's accuracy and 90.0% on top 10 candidate's accuracy. Conclusion This study provides a detailed insight into a cascaded framework of fine-tuned domain-specific language models improving mapping of VO from clinical trials. By effectively leveraging domain-specific information and applying weighted rule-based ensembles of different pre-trained BERT models, our framework can significantly enhance the mapping of VO from clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianfu Li
- The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
| | - Yiming Li
- The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
| | | | | | - Zenan Sun
- The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
| | - Fang Li
- The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
| | | | - Cui Tao
- The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
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13
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Mao W, Zimmerman A, Urli Hodges E, Ortiz E, Dods G, Taylor A, Udayakumar K. Comparing research and development, launch, and scale up timelines of 18 vaccines: lessons learnt from COVID-19 and implications for other infectious diseases. BMJ Glob Health 2023; 8:e012855. [PMID: 37696544 PMCID: PMC10496705 DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2023-012855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 07/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Over the next decade, millions of deaths could be prevented by increasing access to vaccines in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated that the research and development (R&D), launch and scale up timelines of vaccines can be drastically shortened. This study compares such timelines for eighteen vaccines and identifies lessons and implications for accelerating the R&D, launch and scale up process for other vaccine candidates. To replicate the rapid R&D process of the COVID-19 vaccines, future vaccine R&D should capitalise on public-private knowledge sharing partnerships to promote technology innovation, establish regional clinical trial centres and data sharing networks to optimise clinical trial efficiency, and create a funding mechanism to support research into novel vaccine platforms that may prove valuable to quickly developing vaccine candidates in future global health emergencies. To accelerate the launch timeline, future efforts to bring safe and efficacious vaccines to market should include LMICs in the decision-making processes of global procurement and delivery alliances to optimise launch in these countries, strengthen the WHO prequalification and Emergency Use Listing programs to ensure LMICs have a robust and transparent regulatory system to rely on, and invest in LMIC regulatory and manufacturing capacity to ensure these countries are vaccine self-sufficient. Lastly, efforts to accelerate scale up of vaccines should include the creation of regional pooled procurement mechanisms between LMICs to increase purchasing power among these countries and an open line of clear communication with the public regarding pertinent vaccine information to combat misinformation and vaccine hesitancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenhui Mao
- Duke Global Health Innovation Center, Duke Global Health Institute, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Innovations in Healthcare, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Armand Zimmerman
- Duke Global Health Innovation Center, Duke Global Health Institute, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Center for Policy Impact in Global Health, Duke Global Health Institute, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Elina Urli Hodges
- Duke Global Health Innovation Center, Duke Global Health Institute, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Innovations in Healthcare, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Ernesto Ortiz
- Duke Global Health Innovation Center, Duke Global Health Institute, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Innovations in Healthcare, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Galen Dods
- Science and Society, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Andrea Taylor
- Duke Global Health Innovation Center, Duke Global Health Institute, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Innovations in Healthcare, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Krishna Udayakumar
- Duke Global Health Innovation Center, Duke Global Health Institute, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Innovations in Healthcare, Durham, North Carolina, USA
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14
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Khalid K, Poh CL. The Promising Potential of Reverse Vaccinology-Based Next-Generation Vaccine Development over Conventional Vaccines against Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:1264. [PMID: 37515079 PMCID: PMC10385262 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11071264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The clinical use of antibiotics has led to the emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria, leading to the current antibiotic resistance crisis. To address this issue, next-generation vaccines are being developed to prevent antimicrobial resistance caused by MDR bacteria. Traditional vaccine platforms, such as inactivated vaccines (IVs) and live attenuated vaccines (LAVs), were effective in preventing bacterial infections. However, they have shown reduced efficacy against emerging antibiotic-resistant bacteria, including MDR M. tuberculosis. Additionally, the large-scale production of LAVs and IVs requires the growth of live pathogenic microorganisms. A more promising approach for the accelerated development of vaccines against antibiotic-resistant bacteria involves the use of in silico immunoinformatics techniques and reverse vaccinology. The bioinformatics approach can identify highly conserved antigenic targets capable of providing broader protection against emerging drug-resistant bacteria. Multi-epitope vaccines, such as recombinant protein-, DNA-, or mRNA-based vaccines, which incorporate several antigenic targets, offer the potential for accelerated development timelines. This review evaluates the potential of next-generation vaccine development based on the reverse vaccinology approach and highlights the development of safe and immunogenic vaccines through relevant examples from successful preclinical and clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kanwal Khalid
- Centre for Virus and Vaccine Research, School of Medical and Life Sciences, Sunway University, Bandar Sunway, Subang Jaya 47500, Malaysia
| | - Chit Laa Poh
- Centre for Virus and Vaccine Research, School of Medical and Life Sciences, Sunway University, Bandar Sunway, Subang Jaya 47500, Malaysia
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15
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Hurley JC. Establishing the safety of selective digestive decontamination within the ICU population: a bridge too far? Trials 2023; 24:337. [PMID: 37198636 DOI: 10.1186/s13063-023-07356-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Infection prevention interventions within the intensive care unit (ICU) setting, whether studied within quality improvement projects or cluster randomized trials (CRT), are seen as low risk and grounded in an ethical imperative. Selective digestive decontamination (SDD) appears highly effective at preventing ICU infections within randomized concurrent control trials (RCCTs) prompting mega-CRTs with mortality as the primary endpoint. FINDINGS Surprisingly, the summary results of RCCTs versus CRTs differ strikingly, being respectively, a 15-percentage-point versus a zero-percentage-point ICU mortality difference between control versus SDD intervention groups. Multiple other discrepancies are equally puzzling and contrary to both prior expectations and the experience within population-based studies of infection prevention interventions using vaccines. Could spillover effects from SDD conflate the RCCT control group event rate differences and represent population harm? Evidence that SDD is fundamentally safe to concurrent non-recipients in ICU populations is absent. A postulated CRT to realize this, the SDD Herd Effects Estimation Trial (SHEET), would require > 100 ICUs to achieve sufficient statistical power to find a two-percentage-point mortality spillover effect. Moreover, as a potentially harmful population-based intervention, SHEET would pose novel and insurmountable ethical issues including who is the research subject; whether informed consent is required and from whom; whether there is equipoise; the benefit versus the risk; considerations of vulnerable groups; and who should be the gatekeeper? CONCLUSION The basis for the mortality difference between control and intervention groups of SDD studies remains unclear. Several paradoxical results are consistent with a spillover effect that would conflate the inference of benefit originating from RCCTs. Moreover, this spillover effect would constitute to herd peril.
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Affiliation(s)
- James C Hurley
- Melbourne Medical School, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
- Division of Internal Medicine, Grampians Health Services, Ballarat, VIC, Australia.
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16
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Zimmerman A, Diab MM, Schäferhoff M, McDade KK, Yamey G, Ogbuoji O. Investing in a global pooled-funding mechanism for late-stage clinical trials of poverty-related and neglected diseases: an economic evaluation. BMJ Glob Health 2023; 8:bmjgh-2023-011842. [PMID: 37247874 DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2023-011842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Poverty-related and neglected diseases (PRNDs) cause over three million deaths annually. Despite this burden, there is a large gap between actual funding for PRND research and development (R&D) and the funding needed to launch PRND products from the R&D pipeline. This study provides an economic evaluation of a theoretical global pooled-funding mechanism to finance late-stage clinical trials of PRND products. METHODS We modelled three pooled-funding design options, each based on a different level of coverage of candidate products for WHO's list of PRNDs: (1) vaccines covering 4 PRNDs, (2) vaccines and therapeutics covering 9 PRNDs and (3) vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics covering 30 PRNDs. For each option, we constructed a discrete event simulation of the 2019 PRND R&D pipeline to estimate required funding for phase III trials and expected product launches through 2035. For each launch, we estimated global PRND treatment costs averted, deaths averted and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) averted. For each design option, we calculated the cost per death averted, cost per DALY averted, the benefit-cost ratio (BCR) and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER). RESULTS Option 1 averts 18.4 million deaths and 516 million DALYs, has a cost per DALY averted of US$84 and yields a BCR of 5.53. Option 2 averts 22.9 million deaths and 674 million DALYs, has a cost per DALY averted of US$75, an ICER over option 1 of US$49 and yields a BCR of 3.88. Option 3 averts 26.9 million deaths and 1 billion DALYs, has a cost per DALY averted of US$114, an ICER over option 2 of US$186 and yields a BCR of 2.52. CONCLUSIONS All 3 options for a pooled-funding mechanism-vaccines for 4 PRNDs, vaccines and therapeutics for 9 PRNDs, and vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics for 30 PRNDs-would generate a large return on investment, avert a substantial proportion of the global burden of morbidity and mortality for diseases of poverty and be cost-effective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Armand Zimmerman
- Center for Policy Impact in Global Health, Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Mohamed Mustafa Diab
- Center for Policy Impact in Global Health, Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | | | - Kaci Kennedy McDade
- Center for Policy Impact in Global Health, Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Gavin Yamey
- Center for Policy Impact in Global Health, Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Osondu Ogbuoji
- Center for Policy Impact in Global Health, Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
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17
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Polatoğlu I, Oncu‐Oner T, Dalman I, Ozdogan S. COVID-19 in early 2023: Structure, replication mechanism, variants of SARS-CoV-2, diagnostic tests, and vaccine & drug development studies. MedComm (Beijing) 2023; 4:e228. [PMID: 37041762 PMCID: PMC10082934 DOI: 10.1002/mco2.228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Revised: 01/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 04/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronaviruses-2 (SARS-CoV-2), a highly pathogenic and transmissible coronavirus. Most cases of COVID-19 have mild to moderate symptoms, including cough, fever, myalgias, and headache. On the other hand, this coronavirus can lead to severe complications and death in some cases. Therefore, vaccination is the most effective tool to prevent and eradicate COVID-19 disease. Also, rapid and effective diagnostic tests are critical in identifying cases of COVID-19. The COVID-19 pandemic has a dynamic structure on the agenda and contains up-to-date developments. This article has comprehensively discussed the most up-to-date pandemic situation since it first appeared. For the first time, not only the structure, replication mechanism, and variants of SARS-CoV-2 (Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Omicron, Delta, Epsilon, Kappa, Mu, Eta, Zeta, Theta, lota, Lambda) but also all the details of the pandemic, such as how it came out, how it spread, current cases, what precautions should be taken, prevention strategies, the vaccines produced, the tests developed, and the drugs used are reviewed in every aspect. Herein, the comparison of diagnostic tests for SARS-CoV-2 in terms of procedure, accuracy, cost, and time has been presented. The mechanism, safety, efficacy, and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 variants have been evaluated. Drug studies, therapeutic targets, various immunomodulators, and antiviral molecules applied to patients with COVID-19 have been reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilker Polatoğlu
- Department of BioengineeringManisa Celal Bayar UniversityYunusemreManisaTurkey
| | - Tulay Oncu‐Oner
- Department of BioengineeringManisa Celal Bayar UniversityYunusemreManisaTurkey
| | - Irem Dalman
- Department of BioengineeringEge UniversityBornovaIzmirTurkey
| | - Senanur Ozdogan
- Department of BioengineeringManisa Celal Bayar UniversityYunusemreManisaTurkey
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18
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Shams M, Heydaryan S, Bashi MC, Gorgani BN, Ghasemi E, Majidiani H, Nazari N, Irannejad H. In silico design of a novel peptide-based vaccine against the ubiquitous apicomplexan Toxoplasma gondii using surface antigens. In Silico Pharmacol 2023; 11:5. [PMID: 36960094 PMCID: PMC10027966 DOI: 10.1007/s40203-023-00140-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Human toxoplasmosis is a global public health concern and a commercial vaccine is still lacking. The present in silico study was done to design a novel vaccine candidate using tachyzoite-specific SAG1-realted sequence (SRS) proteins. Overlapping B-cell and strictly-chosen human MHC-I binding epitopes were predicted and connected together using appropriate spacers. Moreover, a TLR4 agonist, human high mobility group box protein 1 (HMGB1), and His-tag were added to the N- and C-terminus of the vaccine sequence. The final vaccine had 442 residues and a molecular weight of 47.71 kDa. Physico-chemical evaluation showed a soluble, highly antigenic and non-allergen protein, with coils and helices as secondary structures. The vaccine 3D model was predicted by ITASSER server, subsequently refined and was shown to possess significant interactions with human TLR4. As well, potent stimulation of cellular and humoral immunity was demonstrated upon chimeric vaccine injection. Finally, the outputs showed that this vaccine model possesses top antigenicity, which could provoke significant cell-mediated immune profile including IFN-γ, and can be utilized towards prophylactic purposes. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40203-023-00140-w.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morteza Shams
- Zoonotic Diseases Research Center, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran
| | - Saeed Heydaryan
- Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mehdi Cheraghchi Bashi
- Department of Avian Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Ezatollah Ghasemi
- Department of Medical Parasitology, School of Medicine, Dezful University of Medical Sciences, Dezful, Iran
| | - Hamidreza Majidiani
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neyshabur University of Medical Sciences, Neyshabur, Iran
| | - Naser Nazari
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Hamid Irannejad
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
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19
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Tripathi S, Sharma N, Naorem LD, Raghava GPS. ViralVacDB: A manually curated repository of viral vaccines. Drug Discov Today 2023; 28:103523. [PMID: 36764575 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2023.103523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Revised: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Abstract
Over the years, numerous vaccines have been developed against viral infections; however, a complete database that provides comprehensive information on viral vaccines has been lacking. In this review, along with our freely accessible database ViralVacDB, we provide details of the viral vaccines, their type, routes of administration and approving agencies. This repository systematically covers additional information such as disease name, adjuvant, manufacturer, clinical status, age and dosage against 422 viral vaccines, including 145 approved vaccines and 277 in clinical trials. We anticipate that this database will be highly beneficial to researchers and others working in pharmaceuticals and immuno-informatics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sadhana Tripathi
- Department of Computational Biology, Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, Okhla Phase 3, New Delhi 110020, India.
| | - Neelam Sharma
- Department of Computational Biology, Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, Okhla Phase 3, New Delhi 110020, India.
| | - Leimarembi Devi Naorem
- Department of Computational Biology, Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, Okhla Phase 3, New Delhi 110020, India.
| | - Gajendra P S Raghava
- Department of Computational Biology, Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, Okhla Phase 3, New Delhi 110020, India.
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20
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Ghanei M, Mohabattalab A, Fartash K, Kolahchi N, Khakdaman A, Kaghazian H, Bagheri A. Exploring the experience of developing COVID-19 vaccines in Iran. Clin Exp Vaccine Res 2023; 12:1-12. [PMID: 36844687 PMCID: PMC9950226 DOI: 10.7774/cevr.2023.12.1.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 01/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Widespread public vaccination is one of the effective mechanisms to ensure the health and prevent deaths in societies. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine is a stark instance in this regard. Vaccine development is a complex process requiring firm-level capabilities, various infrastructures, long-term planning, and stable and efficient policies. Due to the global demand for vaccines during the pandemic, the national capability to produce vaccines is critical. To this end, the current paper investigates influential factors, at the firm- and policy-level, in the COVID-19 vaccine development process in Iran. By adopting a qualitative research method and conducting 17 semi-structured interviews and analyzing policy documents, news, and reports, we extracted internal and external factors affecting the success and failure of a vaccine development project. We also discuss the characteristics of the vaccine ecosystem and the gradual maturity of policies. This paper draws lessons for vaccine development in developing countries at both firm and policy levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mostafa Ghanei
- Biotechnology Development Council, Vice-Presidency for Science, Technology and Knowledge-Based Economy, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Mohabattalab
- Department of Management and Industrial Engineering, Malek Ashtar University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
| | - Kiarash Fartash
- Institute for Science and Technology Studies, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Narjes Kolahchi
- Vaccine Department of Biotechnology Development Council, Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Hooman Kaghazian
- Department of Research and Development, Production and Research Complex, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Abolfazl Bagheri
- Department of Technology and Innovation Policy, National Research Institute for Science Policy, Tehran, Iran
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21
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Bezbaruah R, Chavda VP, Nongrang L, Alom S, Deka K, Kalita T, Ali F, Bhattacharjee B, Vora L. Nanoparticle-Based Delivery Systems for Vaccines. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 10:1946. [PMID: 36423041 PMCID: PMC9694785 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10111946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2022] [Revised: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Vaccination is still the most cost-effective way to combat infectious illnesses. Conventional vaccinations may have low immunogenicity and, in most situations, only provide partial protection. A new class of nanoparticle-based vaccinations has shown considerable promise in addressing the majority of the shortcomings of traditional and subunit vaccines. This is due to recent breakthroughs in chemical and biological engineering, which allow for the exact regulation of nanoparticle size, shape, functionality, and surface characteristics, resulting in improved antigen presentation and robust immunogenicity. A blend of physicochemical, immunological, and toxicological experiments can be used to accurately characterize nanovaccines. This narrative review will provide an overview of the current scenario of the nanovaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajashri Bezbaruah
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Dibrugarh University, Dibrugarh 786004, Assam, India
| | - Vivek P. Chavda
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, L. M. College of Pharmacy, Ahmedabad 380008, Gujarat, India
| | - Lawandashisha Nongrang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Dibrugarh University, Dibrugarh 786004, Assam, India
| | - Shahnaz Alom
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Dibrugarh University, Dibrugarh 786004, Assam, India
- Department of Pharmacology, Girijananda Chowdhury Institute of Pharmaceutical Science-Tezpur, Sonitpur 784501, Assam, India
| | - Kangkan Deka
- Department of Pharmacognosy, NETES Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, Mirza, Guwahati 781125, Assam, India
| | - Tutumoni Kalita
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Girijananda Chowdhury Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Azara, Guwahati 781017, Assam, India
| | - Farak Ali
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Dibrugarh University, Dibrugarh 786004, Assam, India
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Girijananda Chowdhury Institute of Pharmaceutical Science-Tezpur, Sonitpur 784501, Assam, India
| | - Bedanta Bhattacharjee
- Department of Pharmacology, Girijananda Chowdhury Institute of Pharmaceutical Science-Tezpur, Sonitpur 784501, Assam, India
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22
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Adverse reactions of different COVID-19 vaccines among healthcare professionals: A qualitative study in Mosul, Iraq. CLINICAL EPIDEMIOLOGY AND GLOBAL HEALTH 2022; 18:101175. [PMID: 36348726 PMCID: PMC9634506 DOI: 10.1016/j.cegh.2022.101175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Revised: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Background COVID-19 disease was highly infectious causing a declaration of a global pandemic and the scientists believed that developing a safe and effective vaccine was the solution. Various vaccine candidates were announced by different health authorities. Many factors affect the acceptance of vaccines. This study aims to explore the perceptions, attitudes, and expectations of healthcare professionals (HCPs) toward COVID-19 vaccines. Method A qualitative study approach was conducted by using face-to-face semi-structured interviews with HCPs in Mosul city, Iraq. Results Twenty-five HCPs participated in the interviews. After qualitative analysis four main themes emerged: perception of vaccines; participants believed that vaccines were vital inventions, motivations to take the vaccine; most HCPs were motivated based on the scientific evidence regarding COVID-19 vaccines, expectations about the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines; participants had different opinions based on the type of the vaccine and the available data, side effects experienced; severe side effects were expected but only mild adverse reactions were experienced by the majority. Conclusion HCPs had good knowledge about COVID-19 vaccines which was not affected by rumors and misinformation. In contrast to their expectations, the experienced side effects of the first and the second doses were mild to moderate in severity. The majority of HCPs based their choice of the vaccine on the efficacy and safety profile of the available options.
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Benest J, Rhodes S, Evans TG, White RG. The Correlated Beta Dose Optimisation Approach: Optimal Vaccine Dosing Using Mathematical Modelling and Adaptive Trial Design. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 10:1838. [PMID: 36366347 PMCID: PMC9693615 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10111838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Revised: 10/16/2022] [Accepted: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Mathematical modelling methods and adaptive trial design are likely to be effective for optimising vaccine dose but are not yet commonly used. This may be due to uncertainty with regard to the correct choice of parametric model for dose-efficacy or dose-toxicity. Non-parametric models have previously been suggested to be potentially useful in this situation. We propose a novel approach for locating optimal vaccine dose based on the non-parametric Continuous Correlated Beta Process model and adaptive trial design. We call this the 'Correlated Beta' or 'CoBe' dose optimisation approach. We evaluated the CoBe dose optimisation approach compared to other vaccine dose optimisation approaches using a simulation study. Despite using simpler assumptions than other modelling-based methods, we found that the CoBe dose optimisation approach was able to effectively locate the maximum efficacy dose for both single and prime/boost administration vaccines. The CoBe dose optimisation approach was also effective in finding a dose that maximises vaccine efficacy and minimises vaccine-related toxicity. Further, we found that these modelling methods can benefit from the inclusion of expert knowledge, which has been difficult for previous parametric modelling methods. This work further shows that using mathematical modelling and adaptive trial design is likely to be beneficial to locating optimal vaccine dose, ensuring maximum vaccine benefit and disease burden reduction, ultimately saving lives.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Benest
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Sophie Rhodes
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Thomas G. Evans
- Vaccitech Ltd., The Schrodinger Building, Heatley Road, The Oxford Science Park, Oxford OX4 4GE, UK
| | - Richard G. White
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, UK
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Hsieh MH, Yamaguchi Y. Immune Response in Regard to Hypersensitivity Reactions after COVID-19 Vaccination. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10071641. [PMID: 35884946 PMCID: PMC9312871 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10071641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Revised: 07/02/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is a member of the genus Betacoronavirus. This virus was first detected in December 2019, and the situation quickly escalated to cause a global pandemic within a few months. COVID-19 had caused more than 5.5 million deaths as of January 2022. Hence, the urgency of effective vaccination contributed to the fastest rate of vaccine development seen to date (i.e., within 1.5 years). Despite reports of good vaccine efficacy without severe systemic reactions at the clinical trial stage, hypersensitivity reactions have been reported following worldwide vaccination campaigns. We provide a brief review regarding the structure of SARS-CoV-2. We also review the most acceptable types of vaccines in terms of safety profiles, namely the BNT162b2, mRNA-1273, and AZD1222 vaccines. This review aims to facilitate an understanding of the possible immune mechanisms regarding COVID-19-vaccination-related hypersensitivity reactions, such as thrombosis and thrombocytopenia, cutaneous adverse reactions, myocarditis, and perimyocarditis.
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25
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Peterson CJ, Lee B, Nugent K. COVID-19 Vaccination Hesitancy among Healthcare Workers-A Review. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 10:948. [PMID: 35746556 PMCID: PMC9227837 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10060948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Revised: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic and its associated vaccine have highlighted vaccine hesitancy among healthcare workers (HCWs). Vaccine hesitancy among this group existed prior to the pandemic and particularly centered around influenza vaccination. Being a physician, having more advanced education, and previous vaccination habits are frequently associated with vaccine acceptance. The relationship between age and caring for patients on COVID-19 vaccination is unclear, with studies providing opposing results. Reasons for hesitancy include concerns about safety and efficacy, mistrust of government and institutions, waiting for more data, and feeling that personal rights are being infringed upon. Many of these reasons reflect previous attitudes about influenza vaccination as well as political beliefs and views of personal autonomy. Finally, several interventions to encourage vaccination have been studied, including education programs and non-monetary incentives with the most effective studies using a combination of methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J. Peterson
- School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, 3601 4th St., Lubbock, TX 79430, USA;
| | - Benjamin Lee
- School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, 3601 4th St., Lubbock, TX 79430, USA;
- College of Engineering, Texas Tech University, 2500 Broadway, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA
| | - Kenneth Nugent
- Department of Internal Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, 3601 4th St., Lubbock, TX 79430, USA;
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Biotechnological Perspectives to Combat the COVID-19 Pandemic: Precise Diagnostics and Inevitable Vaccine Paradigms. Cells 2022; 11:cells11071182. [PMID: 35406746 PMCID: PMC8997755 DOI: 10.3390/cells11071182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Revised: 03/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The outbreak of the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the cause for the ongoing global public health emergency. It is more commonly known as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); the pandemic threat continues to spread aroundthe world with the fluctuating emergence of its new variants. The severity of COVID-19 ranges from asymptomatic to serious acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), which has led to a high human mortality rate and disruption of socioeconomic well-being. For the restoration of pre-pandemic normalcy, the international scientific community has been conducting research on a war footing to limit extremely pathogenic COVID-19 through diagnosis, treatment, and immunization. Since the first report of COVID-19 viral infection, an array of laboratory-based and point-of-care (POC) approaches have emerged for diagnosing and understanding its status of outbreak. The RT-PCR-based viral nucleic acid test (NAT) is one of the rapidly developed and most used COVID-19 detection approaches. Notably, the current forbidding status of COVID-19 requires the development of safe, targeted vaccines/vaccine injections (shots) that can reduce its associated morbidity and mortality. Massive and accelerated vaccination campaigns would be the most effective and ultimate hope to end the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the SARS-CoV-2 virus outbreak, emerging biotechnologies and their multidisciplinary approaches have accelerated the understanding of molecular details as well as the development of a wide range of diagnostics and potential vaccine candidates, which are indispensable to combating the highly contagious COVID-19. Several vaccine candidates have completed phase III clinical studies and are reported to be effective in immunizing against COVID-19 after their rollout via emergency use authorization (EUA). However, optimizing the type of vaccine candidates and its route of delivery that works best to control viral spread is crucial to face the threatening variants expected to emerge over time. In conclusion, the insights of this review would facilitate the development of more likely diagnostics and ideal vaccines for the global control of COVID-19.
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Andrade SA, Andrade PADC, Andrade DV, Santos RCD, Varotti FDP, Lwaleed BA. COVID-19 Vaccines: Bioethical Consideration. PERSONA Y BIOÉTICA 2022. [DOI: 10.5294/pebi.2021.25.2.7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic produced immeasurable impacts on the economy, education, and socialization, besides the loss of millions of lives. Thus, there has been an accelerated development of an unprecedented number of COVID-19 vaccine candidates to control the pandemic. The World Health Organization’s emergency use authorization of COVID-19 vaccines still in clinical trial allowed immunizing the population. This paper presents a perspective of the bioethical precepts of autonomy, non-maleficence, beneficence, and justice in the emergency use of COVID-19 vaccines. Furthermore, it emphasizes the importance of surveillance at all stages of vaccine development to detect adverse effects and ensure compliance with bioethical precepts.
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Lopez-Cantu DO, Wang X, Carrasco-Magallanes H, Afewerki S, Zhang X, Bonventre JV, Ruiz-Esparza GU. From Bench to the Clinic: The Path to Translation of Nanotechnology-Enabled mRNA SARS-CoV-2 Vaccines. NANO-MICRO LETTERS 2022; 14:41. [PMID: 34981278 PMCID: PMC8722410 DOI: 10.1007/s40820-021-00771-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
During the last decades, the use of nanotechnology in medicine has effectively been translated to the design of drug delivery systems, nanostructured tissues, diagnostic platforms, and novel nanomaterials against several human diseases and infectious pathogens. Nanotechnology-enabled vaccines have been positioned as solutions to mitigate the pandemic outbreak caused by the novel pathogen severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. To fast-track the development of vaccines, unprecedented industrial and academic collaborations emerged around the world, resulting in the clinical translation of effective vaccines in less than one year. In this article, we provide an overview of the path to translation from the bench to the clinic of nanotechnology-enabled messenger ribonucleic acid vaccines and examine in detail the types of delivery systems used, their mechanisms of action, obtained results during each phase of their clinical development and their regulatory approval process. We also analyze how nanotechnology is impacting global health and economy during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana O Lopez-Cantu
- Division of Engineering in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Harvard University - Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Division of Renal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, School of Engineering and Sciences, 64849, Monterrey, NL, Mexico
| | - Xichi Wang
- Division of Engineering in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Harvard University - Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Division of Renal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, People's Republic of China
| | - Hector Carrasco-Magallanes
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, 64849, Monterrey, NL, Mexico
| | - Samson Afewerki
- Division of Engineering in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Harvard University - Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Xingcai Zhang
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
- School of Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
| | - Joseph V Bonventre
- Division of Engineering in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
- Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Harvard University - Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
- Division of Renal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
| | - Guillermo U Ruiz-Esparza
- Division of Engineering in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
- Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Harvard University - Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
- Division of Renal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
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Singh A, Khillan R, Mishra Y, Khurana S. The safety profile of COVID-19 vaccinations in the United States. Am J Infect Control 2022; 50:15-19. [PMID: 34699960 PMCID: PMC8539830 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajic.2021.10.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Revised: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Background/Aim Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson's Janssen are the 3 COVID-19 vaccines authorized for emergency use in the United States. This study aims to analyze and compare adverse events following immunization associated with these COVID-19 vaccines based on Vaccine Adverse Effect Reporting System data. Methods We utilized Vaccine Adverse Effect Reporting System data from January 1, 2021 to April 30, 2021 to analyze and characterize adverse effects postvaccination with these authorized COVID-19 vaccines in the US population. Results A total of 141,208 individuals suffered at least one adverse events following immunization following 239.97 million doses of COVID-19 vaccination. The frequency of side effects was 0.04%, 0.06%, and 0.35% following administration of Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson's Janssen vaccines, respectively. Most of the patients had mild systemic side effects, the most common being headache (0.01%) and fever (0.01%). The frequency of serious side effects including anaphylaxis (0.0003%) and death (0.002%) was extremely low. Conclusions The three COVID 19 vaccines have a wide safety profile with only minor and self-limiting adverse effects. However, continued monitoring and surveillance is required to review any unexpected serious adverse effects.
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30
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Chen C, Li YW, Shi PF, Qian SX. Acute Mesenteric Ischemia in Patients with COVID-19: Review of the literature. J Natl Med Assoc 2021; 114:47-55. [PMID: 34973847 PMCID: PMC8715336 DOI: 10.1016/j.jnma.2021.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Revised: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has resulted in a global health emergency. In addition to common respiratory symptoms, some patients with COVID-19 infections may experience a range of extra-pulmonary manifestations, such as digestive system involvement. Patients with COVID-19 have been reported to suffer from acute mesenteric ischemia (AMI) that is associated with disease-related severity and mortality. However, in the context of COVID-19, the exact cause of AMI has yet to be clearly defined. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the available data and elucidates the possible underlying mechanisms linking COVID-19 to AMI, in addition to highlighting therapeutic approaches for clinicians. Finally, given the severe global impact of COVID-19, we emphasize the importance of coordinated vaccination programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Can Chen
- Department of Hematology, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310006, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yi-Wei Li
- Department of Intensive Care Unit, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310006, Zhejiang, China
| | - Peng-Fei Shi
- Department of Hematology, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310006, Zhejiang, China
| | - Shen-Xian Qian
- Department of Hematology, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310006, Zhejiang, China.
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31
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Hossain MK, Hassanzadeganroudsari M, Feehan J, Apostolopoulos V. The race for a COVID-19 vaccine: where are we up to? Expert Rev Vaccines 2021; 21:355-376. [PMID: 34937492 DOI: 10.1080/14760584.2022.2021074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION A novel strain of coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, has triggered a global pandemic of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in late 2019. In January 2020, the WHO declared this pandemic a public health emergency. This pandemic has already caused over 5.3 million deaths from more than 272 million infections. The development of a successful vaccine is an urgent global priority to halt the spread of SARS-CoV-2 and prevent further fatalities. Researchers are fast-tracking this process, and there have already been significant developments in preclinical and clinical phases in a relatively short period of time. Some vaccines have been approved either for emergency use or mass application in recent months. AREAS COVERED Herein, we provide a general understanding of the fast-tracked clinical trial procedures and highlight recent successes in preclinical and clinical trials to generate a clearer picture of the progress of COVID-19 vaccine development. EXPERT OPINION A good number of vaccines have been rolled out within a short period a feat unprecedented in medical history. However, the emergence of new variants over time has appeared as a new threat, and the number of infections and casualties is still on the rise and this is going to be an ongoing battle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Kamal Hossain
- Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia
| | | | - Jack Feehan
- Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia.,Department of Medicine The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
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Madewell ZJ, Dean NE, Berlin JA, Coplan PM, Davis KJ, Struchiner CJ, Halloran ME. Challenges of evaluating and modelling vaccination in emerging infectious diseases. Epidemics 2021; 37:100506. [PMID: 34628108 PMCID: PMC8491997 DOI: 10.1016/j.epidem.2021.100506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Outbreaks of emerging pathogens pose unique methodological and practical challenges for the design, implementation, and evaluation of vaccine efficacy trials. Lessons learned from COVID-19 highlight the need for innovative and flexible study design and application to quickly identify promising candidate vaccines. Trial design strategies should be tailored to the dynamics of the specific pathogen, location of the outbreak, and vaccine prototypes, within the regional socioeconomic constraints. Mathematical and statistical models can assist investigators in designing infectious disease clinical trials. We introduce key challenges for planning, evaluating, and modelling vaccine efficacy trials for emerging pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary J Madewell
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
| | - Natalie E Dean
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Jesse A Berlin
- Global Epidemiology, Johnson & Johnson, Titusville, NJ, USA
| | - Paul M Coplan
- Medical Device Epidemiology and Real World Data Sciences, Johnson & Johnson, New Brunswick, NJ, USA; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, PA, USA
| | | | | | - M Elizabeth Halloran
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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Fan Z, Jan S, Hickey JC, Davies DH, Felgner J, Felgner PL, Guan Z. Multifunctional Dendronized Polypeptides for Controlled Adjuvanticity. Biomacromolecules 2021; 22:5074-5086. [PMID: 34788023 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.1c01052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Vaccination has been playing an important role in treating both infectious and cancerous diseases. Nevertheless, many diseases still lack proper vaccines due to the difficulty to generate sufficient amounts of antigen-specific antibodies or T cells. Adjuvants provide an important route to improve and direct immune responses. However, there are few adjuvants approved clinically and many of them lack the clear structure/adjuvanticity relationship. Here, we synthesized and evaluated a series of dendronized polypeptides (denpols) functionalized with varying tryptophan/histidine (W/H) molar ratios of 0/100, 25/75, 50/50, 75/25, and 100/0 as tunable synthetic adjuvants. The denpols showed structure-dependent inflammasome activation in THP1 monocytic cells and structure-related activation and antigen cross-presentation in vitro in bone marrow-derived dendritic cells. We used the denpols with bacterial pathogen Coxiella burnetii antigens in vivo, which showed both high and tunable adjuvating activities, as demonstrated by the antigen-specific antibody and T cell responses. The denpols are easy to make and scalable, biodegradable, and have highly adjustable chemical structures. Taken together, denpols show great potential as a new and versatile adjuvant platform that allows us to adjust adjuvanticity based on structure-activity correlation with the aim to fine-tune the immune response, thus advancing vaccine development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiyuan Fan
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, United States
| | - Sharon Jan
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, United States
| | - James C Hickey
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, United States
| | - D Huw Davies
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, United States
| | - Jiin Felgner
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, United States
| | - Philip L Felgner
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, United States
| | - Zhibin Guan
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, United States.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, United States.,Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, United States.,Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, United States
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Sharma A, Sharma RP, Kaur R, Sharma R, Singh S. A comprehensive insight on the COVID-19 vaccine candidates. J Family Med Prim Care 2021; 10:2457-2466. [PMID: 34568120 PMCID: PMC8415645 DOI: 10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_1570_20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2020] [Revised: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The world is currently facing a pandemic triggered by the novel corona virus (SARS - CoV2), which causes a highly infectious infection that predominantly affects the lungs, resulting in a variety of clinical symptoms some cases may be asymptomatic while others may result in to severe respiratory disorder, if the infection is left unattended it may result in multi-organ failure and eventually death of the patient. The transmission of infection is by droplet and fomites of the infected person. The incubation period of virus is from 2 to 14 days. Most common symptoms resemble flu-like but later progress to pneumonia along with dyspnoea and worsening of oxygen saturation, thus requiring ventilator support. The diagnostic modalities include Reverse transcriptase real time PCR (Quantitative Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction) which is recommended method used for diagnosis of the COVID-19 infection using oro-pharyngeal or nasopharyngeal swabs of the patients. Recently serological tests for antigen and antibody detection has been approved by ICMR. Till now, nine COVID-19 vaccines are granted emergency approval for prevention and for the management of infection symptomatic and supportive measures are being adopted. Globally major pharmaceutical firms are engrossed for development of a potent vaccine candidate. This review highlights on various vaccine candidates under clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anu Sharma
- Department of Microbiology, Dr. V. M. Govt. Medical College, Solapur, Maharashtra, India
| | - Ravi Prakash Sharma
- Department of Pharmacology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
| | - Rimplejeet Kaur
- Department of Pharmacology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
| | - Ria Sharma
- MBBS Student, S. N. Medical College, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
| | - Surjit Singh
- Department of Pharmacology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
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Hammam N, Tharwat S, Shereef RRE, Elsaman AM, Khalil NM, Fathi HM, Salem MN, El-Saadany HM, Samy N, El-Bahnasawy AS, Abdel-Fattah YH, Amer MA, ElShebini E, El-Shanawany AT, El-Hammady DH, Noor RA, ElKhalifa M, Ismail F, Fawzy RM, El-Najjar AR, Selim ZI, Abaza NM, Radwan AR, Elazeem MIA, Mohsen WA, Moshrif AH, Mohamed EF, Aglan LI, Senara S, Ibrahim ME, Khalifa I, Owaidy RE, Fakharany NE, Mohammed RHA, Gheita TA. Rheumatology university faculty opinion on coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) vaccines: the vaXurvey study from Egypt. Rheumatol Int 2021; 41:1607-1616. [PMID: 34244818 PMCID: PMC8269986 DOI: 10.1007/s00296-021-04941-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The aim of the present work was to explore the perspectives of Egyptian Rheumatology staff members as regards the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) vaccine. METHODS The survey is composed of 25 questions. Some questions were adapted from the global rheumatology alliance COVID-19 survey for patients. RESULTS 187 rheumatology staff members across Egypt from 18 universities and authorizations actively participated with a valid response. The mean time needed to complete the survey was 17.7 ± 13 min. Participants were 159 (85%) females (F:M 5.7:1). One-third agreed that they will be vaccinated once available, 24.6% have already received at least one dose, 29.4% are unsure while 16% will not take it. Furthermore, 70.1% agreed that they will recommend it to the rheumatic diseases (RD) patients once available, 24.1% are not sure while 5.9% will not recommend it. RD priority to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in descending order include SLE (82.9%), RA (55.1%), vasculitis (51.3%), systemic sclerosis (39.6%), MCTD (31.6%), Behcet's disease (28.3%). The most common drugs to be avoided before vaccination included biologics (71.7%), DMARDs (44.4%), biosimilars (26.7%), IVIg (17.1%) and NSAIDs (9.1%). CONCLUSIONS The results of the study and specifically the low rate of acceptability are alarming to Egyptian health authorities and should stir further interventions to reduce the levels of vaccine hesitancy. As rheumatic disease patients in Egypt were not systematically provided with the vaccine till present, making the vaccine available could as well enhance vaccine acceptance. Further studies to investigate any possible side effects, on a large scale of RD patients are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nevin Hammam
- Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
- Rheumatology Department, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Samar Tharwat
- Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine, Mansoura University, Dakahlia, Egypt
| | - Rawhya R El Shereef
- Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Minia University, Minia, Egypt
| | - Ahmed M Elsaman
- Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Sohag University, Sohag, Egypt
| | - Noha M Khalil
- Internal Medicine Department, Rheumatology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Hanan M Fathi
- Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Fayoum University, Fayoum, Egypt
| | - Mohamed N Salem
- Internal Medicine Department, Rheumatology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, Egypt
| | - Hanan M El-Saadany
- Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Gharbia, Egypt
| | - Nermeen Samy
- Internal Medicine Department, Rheumatology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Amany S El-Bahnasawy
- Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Dakahlia, Egypt
| | - Yousra H Abdel-Fattah
- Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Marwa A Amer
- Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Emad ElShebini
- Internal Medicine Department, Rheumatology Unit, Menoufia University, Menoufia, Egypt
| | - Amira T El-Shanawany
- Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Menoufia University, Menoufia, Egypt
| | - Dina H El-Hammady
- Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Rasha Abdel Noor
- Internal Medicine Department, Rheumatology Unit, Tanta University, Gharbia, Egypt
| | - Marwa ElKhalifa
- Internal Medicine Department, Rheumatology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Faten Ismail
- Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Minia University, Minia, Egypt
| | - Rasha M Fawzy
- Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Benha University, Kalubia, Egypt
| | - Amany R El-Najjar
- Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Sharkia, Egypt
| | - Zahraa I Selim
- Rheumatology Department, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Nouran M Abaza
- Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Ahmed R Radwan
- Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Sohag University, Sohag, Egypt
| | - Mervat IAbd Elazeem
- Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, Egypt
| | - Wael Abdel Mohsen
- Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, South Valley University, Qena, Egypt
| | - Abdel Hafeez Moshrif
- Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University, Assiut, Egypt
| | - Eman F Mohamed
- Internal Medicine Department, Rheumatology Unit, Faculty of Medicine (Girls), Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Loay I Aglan
- Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Aswan University, Aswan, Egypt
| | - Soha Senara
- Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Fayoum University, Fayoum, Egypt
| | - Maha E Ibrahim
- Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Suez-Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt
| | - Iman Khalifa
- Pediatrics Department, Rheumatology and Nephrology Unit, Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Rasha El Owaidy
- Pediatrics Department, Rheumatology Unit, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Noha El Fakharany
- Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
| | | | - Tamer A Gheita
- Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
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Boschiero MN, Palamim CVC, Marson FAL. The hindrances to perform the COVID-19 vaccination in Brazil. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2021; 17:3989-4004. [PMID: 34353218 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2021.1955607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Brazil is one of the epicenters of COVID-19 pandemic and faces several hindrances to make his COVID-19 vaccination plan efficient. METHODS The Brazilian COVID-19 vaccination plan was evaluated and the hindrances to make the COVID-19 vaccination plan efficient were described and discussed. RESULTS High territorial extension might contribute to a delay on the COVID-19 vaccination, due to difficulty in delivering vaccines to furthest Brazilian states and to all the interior cities. The choice among the vaccines should be done based on the type of storage and must consider the transport conditions necessary to maintain its effectiveness. The indigenous individuals were included with health-care workers as the first group to be vaccinated, inflaming the number of vaccines doses distributed in states where the indigenous population have higher prevalence. The antivaccine movement and the politicization of the vaccine are also hindrances to be overcome in Brazil. The COVID-19 incidence or mortality rate and the distribution of intensive care units (ICUs) are not a criterion to distribute the vaccines, as we did not identify a correlation between these markers and the number of vaccines. However, a strong or very strong correlation occurred between the number of COVID-19 vaccines and the number of COVID-19 cases, deaths by COVID-19, gross domestic product, as well as populational density. A total of 83,280,475 doses of COVID-19 vaccines were distributed in Brazil. In the first dose, the Coronavac (Sinovac™), AZD1222 (AstraZeneca/Oxford™), and BNT162b (Pfizer/BioNTech™) vaccines were responsible to vaccinate, respectively, 9.61%, 6.69%, and 0.35% of the Brazilian population. In the second dose, the Coronavac, AZD1222, and BNT162b vaccines were responsible to vaccinate, respectively, 7.52%, 0.53%, and <0.01% of the Brazilian population. CONCLUSIONS The Federal Government must evaluate the hindrances and propose solutions to maximize the immunization against COVID-19 on Brazil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matheus Negri Boschiero
- Laboratory of Cell and Molecular Tumor Biology and Bioactive Compounds, São Francisco University, Bragança Paulista, SP, Brazil.,Laboratory of Human and Medical Genetics, São Francisco University, Bragança Paulista, SP, Brazil
| | - Camila Vantini Capasso Palamim
- Laboratory of Cell and Molecular Tumor Biology and Bioactive Compounds, São Francisco University, Bragança Paulista, SP, Brazil.,Laboratory of Human and Medical Genetics, São Francisco University, Bragança Paulista, SP, Brazil
| | - Fernando Augusto Lima Marson
- Laboratory of Cell and Molecular Tumor Biology and Bioactive Compounds, São Francisco University, Bragança Paulista, SP, Brazil.,Laboratory of Human and Medical Genetics, São Francisco University, Bragança Paulista, SP, Brazil
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Hwang W, Lei W, Katritsis NM, MacMahon M, Chapman K, Han N. Current and prospective computational approaches and challenges for developing COVID-19 vaccines. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2021; 172:249-274. [PMID: 33561453 PMCID: PMC7871111 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2021.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Revised: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19, was first identified in humans in late 2019 and is a coronavirus which is zoonotic in origin. As it spread around the world there has been an unprecedented effort in developing effective vaccines. Computational methods can be used to speed up the long and costly process of vaccine development. Antigen selection, epitope prediction, and toxicity and allergenicity prediction are areas in which computational tools have already been applied as part of reverse vaccinology for SARS-CoV-2 vaccine development. However, there is potential for computational methods to assist further. We review approaches which have been used and highlight additional bioinformatic approaches and PK modelling as in silico methods which may be useful for SARS-CoV-2 vaccine design but remain currently unexplored. As more novel viruses with pandemic potential are expected to arise in future, these techniques are not limited to application to SARS-CoV-2 but also useful to rapidly respond to novel emerging viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Woochang Hwang
- Milner Therapeutics Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Winnie Lei
- Milner Therapeutics Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; Department of Surgery, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Nicholas M Katritsis
- Milner Therapeutics Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Méabh MacMahon
- Milner Therapeutics Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; Centre for Therapeutics Discovery, LifeArc, Stevenage, UK
| | - Kathryn Chapman
- Milner Therapeutics Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Namshik Han
- Milner Therapeutics Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
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Ho W, Gao M, Li F, Li Z, Zhang X, Xu X. Next-Generation Vaccines: Nanoparticle-Mediated DNA and mRNA Delivery. Adv Healthc Mater 2021; 10:e2001812. [PMID: 33458958 PMCID: PMC7995055 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202001812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 159] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Revised: 12/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Nucleic acid vaccines are a method of immunization aiming to elicit immune responses akin to live attenuated vaccines. In this method, DNA or messenger RNA (mRNA) sequences are delivered to the body to generate proteins, which mimic disease antigens to stimulate the immune response. Advantages of nucleic acid vaccines include stimulation of both cell-mediated and humoral immunity, ease of design, rapid adaptability to changing pathogen strains, and customizable multiantigen vaccines. To combat the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, and many other diseases, nucleic acid vaccines appear to be a promising method. However, aid is needed in delivering the fragile DNA/mRNA payload. Many delivery strategies have been developed to elicit effective immune stimulation, yet no nucleic acid vaccine has been FDA-approved for human use. Nanoparticles (NPs) are one of the top candidates to mediate successful DNA/mRNA vaccine delivery due to their unique properties, including unlimited possibilities for formulations, protective capacity, simultaneous loading, and delivery potential of multiple DNA/mRNA vaccines. This review will summarize the many varieties of novel NP formulations for DNA and mRNA vaccine delivery as well as give the reader a brief synopsis of NP vaccine clinical trials. Finally, the future perspectives and challenges for NP-mediated nucleic acid vaccines will be explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Ho
- Department of Chemical and Materials EngineeringNew Jersey Institute of TechnologyNewarkNJ07102USA
| | - Mingzhu Gao
- Engineering Research Center of Cell & Therapeutic AntibodyMinistry of Educationand School of PharmacyShanghai Jiao Tong University800 Dongchuan RoadShanghai200240P. R. China
| | - Fengqiao Li
- Department of Chemical and Materials EngineeringNew Jersey Institute of TechnologyNewarkNJ07102USA
| | - Zhongyu Li
- Department of Chemical and Materials EngineeringNew Jersey Institute of TechnologyNewarkNJ07102USA
| | - Xue‐Qing Zhang
- Engineering Research Center of Cell & Therapeutic AntibodyMinistry of Educationand School of PharmacyShanghai Jiao Tong University800 Dongchuan RoadShanghai200240P. R. China
| | - Xiaoyang Xu
- Department of Chemical and Materials EngineeringNew Jersey Institute of TechnologyNewarkNJ07102USA
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringNew Jersey Institute of Technology323 Dr Martin Luther King Jr BlvdNewarkNJ07102USA
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Mandi H, Yimer SA, Norheim G. Mapping time use in clinical trials for vaccines against emerging infectious diseases. Clin Trials 2021; 18:286-294. [PMID: 33653146 DOI: 10.1177/1740774520977283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Vaccines are potent tools to prevent outbreaks of emerging infectious diseases from becoming epidemics and need to be developed at an accelerated pace to have any impact on the course of an ongoing epidemic. The aim of this study was to describe time use in the execution of vaccine trials, to identify steps that could be accelerated to improve preparedness and planning for future emerging infectious diseases vaccine trials. METHODS We used a mixed-methods approach to map time use and process steps that could be accelerated during vaccine trials. Trials for vaccines against infectious diseases registered in three global trial databases reported in the period 2011-2017 were eligible to join the survey. We invited sponsors to contribute data through a predefined structured questionnaire for clinical trial process metrics. Data were stratified by trial phase, disease type (i.e. emerging infectious diseases or not emerging infectious diseases), sponsor type, and continent. Qualitative interviews were conducted with purposively selected sponsors, and thematic analysis of the interview transcripts was performed. RESULTS Based on data from 155 vaccine trials including 29,071 subjects, 52% were phase I, 23% phase II, and 25% phase III. We found that the regulatory approval, subject enrollment, study execution, and study close-out accounted for most of the cycle time of the vaccine trial process. Cycle times for the regulatory and ethical approvals, contract agreement, site initiation, and study execution were shorter in trials conducted during outbreaks. Qualitative interviews indicated that early engagement of the regulatory and independent ethical committee authorities in planning the vaccine trials was critical for saving time in trial approval. Furthermore, adapting the trial implementation to the reality of the study sites and active involvement of the local investigators during the planning of the trial and protocol writing were stated to be of paramount importance to successful completion of trials at an accelerated pace. CONCLUSION The regulatory approval, subject recruitment, study execution, and close-out cycle times accounted for most of the vaccine trial time use and are activities that could be accelerated during a vaccine trial planning and implementation. We encourage tracking of key cycle time metrics and facilitating sharing of knowledge across industry and academia, as this may serve to reduce the time from index case detection to access of a vaccine during emerging infectious diseases epidemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henshaw Mandi
- Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Gunnstein Norheim
- Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Oslo, Norway
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Dufour C, Co TK, Liu A. GM1 ganglioside antibody and COVID-19 related Guillain Barre Syndrome - A case report, systemic review and implication for vaccine development. Brain Behav Immun Health 2021; 12:100203. [PMID: 33462567 PMCID: PMC7805391 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2021.100203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2020] [Revised: 01/03/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS) and Miller Fisher Syndrome (MFS) are emerging as known consequences of COVID-19 infection. However, there have been no reported cases with positive GM1 or GQ1b antibodies in the literature to date. Although clinically similar, the pathophysiology of COVID-19 related GBS and MFS may be significantly different from cases in the pre-pandemic era. CASE PRESENTATION We present a patient with ascending areflexic weakness consistent with GBS with positive GM1 antibody. The patient had recovered from COVID-19 infection two weeks prior with mild viral illness and symptoms. Her weakness was isolated to the lower extremities and improved after intravenous immunoglobulin treatment. Patient recovered eventually. CONCLUSIONS - The general lack of reported ganglioside antibodies supports a novel target(s) for molecular mimicry as the underlying etiology, which raises the concern for possible vaccine induced complication. Whether the current GM1 positive case is a sequalae of COVID-19 or a mere coincidence is inconclusive. Further understanding of the disease mechanism of pandemic era GBS and MFS, including antigen target(s) of COVID-19, may be of utmost importance to the development of a safe COVID-19 vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Dufour
- Neurology, Adventist Health White Memorial, 1720 Cesar Chavez Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA
| | - Thien-Kim Co
- Neurology, Adventist Health White Memorial, 1720 Cesar Chavez Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA
| | - Antonio Liu
- Neurology, Adventist Health White Memorial, 1720 Cesar Chavez Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA
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ElBagoury M, Tolba MM, Nasser HA, Jabbar A, Elagouz AM, Aktham Y, Hutchinson A. The find of COVID-19 vaccine: Challenges and opportunities. J Infect Public Health 2021; 14:389-416. [PMID: 33647555 PMCID: PMC7773313 DOI: 10.1016/j.jiph.2020.12.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2020] [Revised: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), a novel corona virus, causing COVID-19 with Flu-like symptoms is the first alarming pandemic of the third millennium. SARS-CoV-2 belongs to beta coronavirus as Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). Pandemic COVID-19 owes devastating mortality and destructively exceptional consequences on Socio-Economics life around the world. Therefore, the current review is redirected to the scientific community to owe comprehensive visualization about SARS-CoV-2 to tackle the current pandemic. As systematically shown through the current review, it indexes unmet medical problem of COVID-19 in view of public health and vaccination discovery for the infectious SARS-CoV-2; it is currently under-investigational therapeutic protocols, and next possible vaccines. Furthermore, the review extensively reports the precautionary measures to achieve" COVID-19/Flatten the curve". It is concluded that vaccines formulation within exceptional no time in this pandemic is highly recommended, via following the same protocols of previous pandemics; MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV, and excluding some initial steps of vaccination development process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marwan ElBagoury
- University of South Wales, Pontypridd, Wales, United Kingdom; The Student Science and Technology Online Research Coop, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Mahmoud M Tolba
- Pharmaceutical division, ministry of health and population, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Hebatallah A Nasser
- Microbiology and Public Health Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Heliopolis University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Abdul Jabbar
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore Punjab Pakistan
| | - Ahmed M Elagouz
- University of South Wales, Pontypridd, Wales, United Kingdom
| | - Yahia Aktham
- University of South Wales, Pontypridd, Wales, United Kingdom
| | - Amy Hutchinson
- The Student Science and Technology Online Research Coop, Ontario, Canada; McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada
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Mishra SK, Tripathi T. One year update on the COVID-19 pandemic: Where are we now? Acta Trop 2021; 214:105778. [PMID: 33253656 PMCID: PMC7695590 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2020.105778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2020] [Revised: 11/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
We are living through an unprecedented crisis with the rapid spread of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) worldwide within a short time. The timely availability of thousands of SARS-CoV-2 genomes has enabled the scientific community to study the origin, structures, and pathogenesis of the virus. The pandemic has spurred research publication and resulted in an unprecedented number of therapeutic proposals. Because the development of new drugs is time consuming, several strategies, including drug repurposing and repositioning, are being tested to treat patients with COVID-19. Researchers have developed several potential vaccine candidates that have shown promise in phase II and III trials. As of 12 November 2020, 164 candidate vaccines are in preclinical evaluation, and 48 vaccines are in clinical evaluation, of which four have cleared phase III trials (Pfizer/BioNTech's BNT162b2, Moderna's mRNA-1273, University of Oxford & AstraZeneca's AZD1222, and Gamaleya's Sputnik V vaccine). Despite the acquisition of a vast body of scientific information, treatment depends only on the clinical management of the disease through supportive care. At the pandemic's 1-year mark, we summarize current information on SARS-CoV-2 origin and biology, and advances in the development of therapeutics. The updated information presented here provides a comprehensive report on the scientific progress made in the past year in understanding of SARS-CoV-2 biology and therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanjay Kumar Mishra
- Department of Botany, Ewing Christian College, Prayagraj- 211003, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Timir Tripathi
- Molecular and Structural Biophysics Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong 793022, Meghalaya, India.
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Meher BR. Need of Vibrant Vaccine Pharmacovigilance During Current Global COVID-19 Pandemic: More Than Ever. JOURNAL OF PHARMACY AND BIOALLIED SCIENCES 2021; 13:1-3. [PMID: 34084042 PMCID: PMC8142916 DOI: 10.4103/jpbs.jpbs_416_20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Revised: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
COVID-19 pandemic has brought the vibrant and vivacious human life to a grinding halt. Only a safe and effective vaccine will bring this dicey situation back to normalcy. Researchers across the globe are at present working hard to find an effective vaccine for COVID-19. However, in search of an effective vaccine at the earliest possible time to combat the epidemic, we cannot afford to compromise on the safety of it. Therefore, monitoring the safety of vaccines is a top priority to safeguard the health of vaccine recipients and only a robust vaccine pharmacovigilance can ably do that in this crisis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bikash Ranjan Meher
- Department of Pharmacology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
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Ramya JE, Goldlin TJA, Kalyanaraman S, Ravichandran M. A pharmacovigilance study of covishield in a tertiary care teaching hospital in Tamil Nadu. J Pharmacol Pharmacother 2021. [DOI: 10.4103/jpp.jpp_63_21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
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Sharma O, Sultan AA, Ding H, Triggle CR. A Review of the Progress and Challenges of Developing a Vaccine for COVID-19. Front Immunol 2020; 11:585354. [PMID: 33163000 PMCID: PMC7591699 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.585354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 305] [Impact Index Per Article: 61.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
A novel coronavirus, which has been designated as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), was first detected in December 2019 in Wuhan China and causes the highly infectious disease referred to as COVID-19. COVID-19 has now spread worldwide to become a global pandemic affecting over 24 million people as of August 26th, 2020 and claimed the life of more than 800,000 people worldwide. COVID-19 is asymptomatic for some individuals and for others it can cause symptoms ranging from flu-like to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), pneumonia and death. Although it is anticipated that an effective vaccine will be available to protect against COVID-19, at present the world is relying on social distancing and hygiene measures and repurposed drugs. There is a worldwide effort to develop an effective vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 and, as of late August 2020, there are 30 vaccines in clinical trials with over 200 in various stages of development. This review will focus on the eight vaccine candidates that entered Phase 1 clinical trials in mid-May, including AstraZeneca/Oxford's AZD1222, Moderna's mRNA-1273 and Sinovac's CoronaVac vaccines, which are currently in advanced stages of vaccine development. In addition to reviewing the different stages of vaccine development, vaccine platforms and vaccine candidates, this review also discusses the biological and immunological basis required of a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, the importance of a collaborative international effort, the ethical implications of vaccine development, the efficacy needed for an immunogenic vaccine, vaccine coverage, the potential limitations and challenges of vaccine development. Although the demand for a vaccine far surpasses the production capacity, it will be beneficial to have a limited number of vaccines available for the more vulnerable population by the end of 2020 and for the rest of the global population by the end of 2021.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ali A. Sultan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Cornell University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Hong Ding
- Departments of Medical Education and Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Education City, Doha, Qatar
| | - Chris R. Triggle
- Departments of Medical Education and Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Education City, Doha, Qatar
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Smitha T, Thomas A. A brief outlook on the current emerging trends of COVID 19 vaccines. J Oral Maxillofac Pathol 2020; 24:206-211. [PMID: 33456225 PMCID: PMC7802844 DOI: 10.4103/jomfp.jomfp_334_20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Accepted: 08/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- T Smitha
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, VSDCH, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
| | - Anela Thomas
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, VSDCH, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
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Sathyanarayana SD, Fernandes SD, Castelino LJ, Vadakkepushpakath AN, Shriram RG. Vaccines in the United States: a systematic review on history of evolution, regulations, licensing, and future challenges. Clin Exp Vaccine Res 2020; 9:69-75. [PMID: 32864362 PMCID: PMC7445324 DOI: 10.7774/cevr.2020.9.2.69] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Vaccines are credited with reducing or effectively eradicating a number of infectious diseases such as smallpox, measles, and diphtheria. Particularly in nations like the United States, where a large number of infectious diseases were prevalent, vaccines proved to be timely interventions. The approval procedure for vaccines in the United States is regulated by the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. Vaccine development is often found to be demanding and requires astute knowledge and understanding of recent developments by physicians and researchers to ensure that effective vaccines are made available to the masses with minimum risk. This article aims to illustrate the regulatory scenario with regards to vaccine development and licensure in the United States with a brief look at the origin of vaccines and their regulations in the nation. Also, it details the challenges faced by the United States vaccine industry to remain relevant in today's constantly evolving world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandeep Divate Sathyanarayana
- Department of Pharmaceutical Regulatory Affairs, Nitte Gulabi Shetty Memorial Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, NITTE (Deemed to be University), Mangaluru, India
| | - Swapnil Dylan Fernandes
- Department of Pharmaceutical Regulatory Affairs, Nitte Gulabi Shetty Memorial Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, NITTE (Deemed to be University), Mangaluru, India
| | - Lovely Joylen Castelino
- Department of Pharmaceutical Regulatory Affairs, Nitte Gulabi Shetty Memorial Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, NITTE (Deemed to be University), Mangaluru, India
| | - Anoop Narayanan Vadakkepushpakath
- Department of Pharmaceutical Regulatory Affairs, Nitte Gulabi Shetty Memorial Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, NITTE (Deemed to be University), Mangaluru, India
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Russo G, Reche P, Pennisi M, Pappalardo F. The combination of artificial intelligence and systems biology for intelligent vaccine design. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2020; 15:1267-1281. [PMID: 32662677 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2020.1791076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION A new body of evidence depicts the applications of artificial intelligence and systems biology in vaccine design and development. The combination of both approaches shall revolutionize healthcare, accelerating clinical trial processes and reducing the costs and time involved in drug research and development. AREAS COVERED This review explores the basics of artificial intelligence and systems biology approaches in the vaccine development pipeline. The topics include a detailed description of epitope prediction tools for designing epitope-based vaccines and agent-based models for immune system response prediction, along with a focus on their potentiality to facilitate clinical trial phases. EXPERT OPINION Artificial intelligence and systems biology offer the opportunity to avoid the inefficiencies and failures that arise in the classical vaccine development pipeline. One promising solution is the combination of both methodologies in a multiscale perspective through an accurate pipeline. We are entering an 'in silico era' in which scientific partnerships, including a more and more increasing creation of an 'ecosystem' of collaboration and multidisciplinary approach, are relevant for addressing the long and risky road of vaccine discovery and development. In this context, regulatory guidance should be developed to qualify the in silico trials as evidence for intelligent vaccine development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Russo
- Department of Drug Sciences, University of Catania , Catania, Italy
| | - Pedro Reche
- Department of Immunology, Universidad Complutense De Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria , Madrid, Spain
| | - Marzio Pennisi
- Computer Science Institute, DiSIT, University of Eastern Piedmont , Italy
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Khan K, Dimtri F, Vargas C, Surani S. COVID-19: A Review of Emerging Preventative Vaccines and Treatment Strategies. Cureus 2020; 12:e8206. [PMID: 32577324 PMCID: PMC7305574 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.8206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
COVID-19, which was first detected in the Hubei province of China, has become a global phenomenon. The effects and devastation on both health and economy have been global. At present, there is a substantial amount of research being done to discover suitable treatment modalities. Efforts have been made on the development of potential efficacious vaccines. The development of a vaccine can be complex, expensive as well as time-consuming. Currently, various ongoing clinical trials are in progress that are investigating either pharmacologic therapies or vaccines against this virus. We, in this brief review have tried to address the process and current development efforts of vaccine in progress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kashmala Khan
- Internal Medicine, Corpus Christi Medical Center, Corpus Christi, USA
| | - Francis Dimtri
- Cardiology, Corpus Christi Medical Center, Corpus Christi, USA
| | - Carlos Vargas
- Internal Medicine, Corpus Christi Medical Center, Corpus Christi, USA
| | - Salim Surani
- Internal Medicine, Corpus Christi Medical Center, Corpus Christi, USA.,Internal Medicine, University of North Texas, Dallas, USA
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Calina D, Docea AO, Petrakis D, Egorov AM, Ishmukhametov AA, Gabibov AG, Shtilman MI, Kostoff R, Carvalho F, Vinceti M, Spandidos DA, Tsatsakis A. Towards effective COVID‑19 vaccines: Updates, perspectives and challenges (Review). Int J Mol Med 2020; 46:3-16. [PMID: 32377694 PMCID: PMC7255458 DOI: 10.3892/ijmm.2020.4596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 214] [Impact Index Per Article: 42.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2020] [Accepted: 05/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In the current context of the pandemic triggered by SARS-COV-2, the immunization of the population through vaccination is recognized as a public health priority. In the case of SARS-COV-2, the genetic sequencing was done quickly, in one month. Since then, worldwide research has focused on obtaining a vaccine. This has a major economic impact because new technological platforms and advanced genetic engineering procedures are required to obtain a COVID-19 vaccine. The most difficult scientific challenge for this future vaccine obtained in the laboratory is the proof of clinical safety and efficacy. The biggest challenge of manufacturing is the construction and validation of production platforms capable of making the vaccine on a large scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Calina
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania
| | - Anca Oana Docea
- Department of Toxicology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania
| | - Demetrios Petrakis
- Department of Forensic Sciences and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Greece
| | - Alex M Egorov
- FSBSI 'Chumakov Federal Scientific Center for Research and Development of Immune‑ and Biological Products of Russian Academy of Sciences', 108819 Moscow, Russia
| | - Aydar A Ishmukhametov
- FSBSI 'Chumakov Federal Scientific Center for Research and Development of Immune‑ and Biological Products of Russian Academy of Sciences', 108819 Moscow, Russia
| | | | - Michael I Shtilman
- D.I. Mendeleyev University of Chemical Technology, 125047 Moscow, Russia
| | - Ronald Kostoff
- School of Public Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology, Gainesville, VA 20155, USA
| | - Félix Carvalho
- UCIBIO, REQUIMTE, Laboratory of Toxicology, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, 4050‑313 Porto, Portugal
| | - Marco Vinceti
- Section of Public Health, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, I-41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Demetrios A Spandidos
- Laboratory of Clinical Virology, Medical School, University of Crete, 71409 Heraklion, Greece
| | - Aristidis Tsatsakis
- Department of Forensic Sciences and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Greece
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